Hydraulic ram.



A. H. FRANGFORT. HYDRAULIG RAM.

APPLICATION FILED P111126, 1907.

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PATENTED MAR. 10, 1908.

. a PATENTED MAR. 10,'-19ios. A. H. FRANCFORT HYDRAULIC RAM APPLICATIONFILED FEB. 26, 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ALFRED H. FRANCFORT, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO NIAGARAHYDRAULIC ENGINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

HYDRAULIC RAM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 10, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED H. FRANoFoRT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in HydraulicRams, of-which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to hydraulic rams, and particularly to severalfeaturs of improvement therein by which it is rendered more efficient inoperation, and more simple and durable in construction.

-In hydraulic rams the fluid stream, the ressure of which it is desiredto increase, is ed through a drive pipe into a chamber having differentoutlet valves. These valves operate to intermittently check the flow offluid in the drive pipe so as to obtain and make use of an increasedpressure arising from the momentum of the fluid. These principles arewell known and of universal application in all rams.

The present invention relates to certain improvements in the valvemechanism by which the flow of the fluid is checked more abruptly in thedrive pipe, and certain other advantages obtained, which will be latermore particularly pointed out.

With these objects in view the inven tion consists in the features ofconstruction and combination hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the generalappearance of a hydraulic ram embodying the principles of my invention;Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same; Fig. 3 is a view of the lineIIIIII of Fig. 2, looking downward; and Fig. 4 is a section on the lineIV-IV of Fig. 2.

In addition to the general principles above outlined relating to theoperation and eflihave to be renewed. In carrying out the presentinvention -I aim to avoid the use of journals or bearings which requireattention or lubrication. There is a further ractical feature to beobtained in all hydrau ic rams, and this is the introduction of a smallbody of air into the pressure chamber along with the water. A body ofair is required in the pressure chamber to keep the pressure equallzed,and unless this air is constantly replenished in the manner abovementioned, it will be soon carried away by the fluid which issues fromthe chamber. In some cases the air has been supplied through a smallauxiliary valve, but in the present case I so form the valves and partsthat it is supplied in the normal 0 eration of the ram without anyspecial va ve.

Referring to the drawings in which like parts are designated by the samereference sign, 1 indicates the base, and 2 the pressure chamber of ahydraulic ram. The fluid is admitted through the drive pipe 3, andfinally issues through the delivery pi e 4, to the point where it is tobe used. T e base 1 contains all of the valve mechanism forcontrollingthe action, and it will be observed that this base is locateddirectly beneath, and in a sense forms an extension of, the pressurechamber 2. I consider this arrangement as an important feature of theinvention in that it secures a very compact arrangement of the parts,and certain other points of advantage which will later more particularlyap ear. The base 1 of the ram has an internal chamber 5, which is ofconsiderably less size than the base, being narrow and elongated, and inthe line of the drive pi e 3. This central chamber 5 is convenient yconstructed in this way by having a web or partition 6, in the basewhich surrounds such chamber 5. In this way there are left two cavities7, at either side of the chamber 5, and one of these cavities 7 isutilized as a passage or outlet connection to the delivery pipe 4.. Alsodirectly in line with the drive pipe 3 there is an opening 8,constituting the overflow valve. 9 designates the valve member thereforwhich is a metal disk or late, having a washer 10. This valve mem er isfixed to the lower end of an angularly bent rod 11, which rojectsthrough the opening 8, and is flexib y hung to a part 12, of the fixedframe by flexible by the overhang stop 23.

strips 13, of resilient metal. The fixed part 12 of the frame isconveniently made of a pair of metal blocks 14, rigidly clampedtoget-her, and to the pressure chamber 2 by the stud bolts 15. Thestrips 13 of resilient metal are likewise anchored to the bent arm 11 bya suitable clamp or clamps 16. There is an extension 17 of the bent arm11 adapted to receive a weight 18. This weight is adjustable on theextension 17 by means of a set screw 19.

The upper surface of the partition or wall' 6 has a check valve 20, ofany convenient form, for example, comprising a metallic disk 21, securedto a leather facing 22, and capable of slight vertical movement, limitedIt is evident that this valve allows fluid to pass up into the pressurechamber 2 whenever the pressure in the chamber 5 exceeds a certainamount.

I provide a special cavity directly beneath the valve 20, and I furtherso arrange the parts that the valve member 9 works partly in this cavityin its movement. The cavity is formed by coring out the metal of thebase 1, as clearly shown at 24:- And this coredout portion is directlyabove the opening of the valve 8.

The operation is as follows: Under normal conditions the valve 9 is heldopen by the weight 18, and when fluid flows inward through the drivepipe 3, it passes into the chamber 5, and freely out through the opening8. The path of the flow is therefore straight throughout, and the fluidquickly increases its velocity. After a very short interval of time thevelocity is so great that the fluid stream impinging against the valvemember 9 overcomes the gravity of the Weight 18 and closes this valve.The pressure immediately mounts up in the chamber 5, due to the momentumof the fluid in the drive pipe, and becomes great enough to raise thevalve member 21, and pass into the pressure chamber 2. When the fiow isarrested, and its pressure has been utilized in this way, the valvemember 21 closes, and the valve member 9 opens, and this cycle ofmovement is indefinitely repeated. All the movement of the valve member9 takes place through the flexibility of the resilient metal strips 13.As these are not deformed beyond their elastic limit in the action,

there is no wear, and this part ofithe mechanism lasts indefinitely.

The functions of the cavity 24 in supplying a small quantity of air ateach actuation of the ram, are as follows: \Vhenever the valve 9 opensunder the action of the weight 18, it creates a certain suction in suchact, so that air enters from the outside and bubbles upward Where it isimmediately received and collected in said cavity 24. At this point itis in a position to be immediately impelled into the pressure chamber 2with the next fluid charge. It is found that the amount of air admittedin this way is sullicient for all practical purposes in the operation ofthe ram. In some cases the pocket or cavity 21 may be omitted and stillsecure the above function to a certain extent. This is due to thearrangement of having the pressure chamber directly above the overflowvalve. Both the pressure chamber and the check valve thereof are inintimate proximity and immediately above the valve member 9 of theoverflow orifice, so that the bubbles of air which find their way inwardthrough the overflow pass immediately upward into the pressure chamberand are not again expelled through the overflow orifice, as in the usualconstruction of hydraulic rams.

What I claim, is

A hydraulic ram having a base with an interior chamber having a valveopening and a flat inside upper face, a valve member within the chamberand comprising a disk cooperating with said opening and disposed in asubstantially vertical plane perpemlicular to said flat-face, saidchamber having a pocket or cavity 24 in said flat upper face directlyabove the valve member and into which said valve member projectsslightly, said cavity or pocket having a larger diameter at its interiorthan at its point of com-

